Disease Table

Question 1

Alzheimer’s Disease

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 1

Progressive decline in:

• perceptual
• cognitve (dementia)
• motor processes

Question 2

Alzheimer’s Disease

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 2

• ACh
• NE
• Serotonin

[down]

Question 3

Alzheimer’s Disease

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 3

Neural Loss: Cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, Basal Nucleus of Meynert (major cholinergic input to cortex and hippocampus)

Presence: Extracellular amyloid plaques, intracelluar nerofibrillary tangles

Question 4

Alzheimer’s Disease

Therapy

Answer 4

Precursor (Choline) + AChE-blocker (Physostigmine)

Question 5

Depression

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 5

Depressed mood, diminished interest/ pleasure in almost all activities, sleep and eating disturbances

Question 6

Depression

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 6

• NE
• Serotonin

[down]

Question 7

Depression

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 7

NE & Serotonin circuits

Question 8

Depression

Therapy

Answer 8

• MAO-inhibitors (Iproniazid)
• Uptake-blockers (tricyclic: Imipramine; selective for serotonin: Fluoxetine)

Question 9

Parkinson’s Disease

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 9

Positive signs: rigidity, tremor at rest, ANS signs Negative signs: Akinesia (unable to initiate movement), bradykinesia (slow movement), loss of balance and coordination, psychological signs

Question 10

Parkinson’s Disease

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 10

• DA
• Also involved: ACh, GABA, Glutamate

[down]

Question 11

Parkinson’s Disease

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 11

Nigrastriatal projections (motor): loss of dopaminergic cells in substantia nigra affects projection to putamen and subsequently basal ganglia - cortical loop

Question 12

Parkinson’s Disease

Therapy

Answer 12

• Combination of Carpidopa + L-Dopa
• Anticholinergics (to control tremor)
• DA-agonists
• Surgical therapies (removing parts of GP, STN)

Question 13

Schizophrenia

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 13

• Positive signs: Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior
• Negative signs: Absence of normal social/interpersonal functions, poverty of speech, flat affect, lack of motivation

Question 14

Schizophrenia

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 14

• DA
  
  • Hypothesis: Too many DA receptors or heightened sensitivity of receptors.
  • Also involved: Serotonin

[up]

Question 15

Schizophrenia

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 15

Tegmental projections to cortex (frontal lobe) and limbic structures

Question 16

Schizophrenia

Therapy

Answer 16

DA- and Serotonin-antagonists

(e.g. Clozapine blocks both types of receptors)

Question 17

Tourette Syndrome

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 17

• Motor syndroms (unvoluntary movements)
• Emotional/cognitive dysfunction

Question 18

Tourette Syndrome

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 18

• DA

[up]

Question 19

Tourette Syndrome

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 19

• Nigrastriatal projections (motor)
• Tegmental projections to cortex (frontal lobe) and limbic structures

Question 20

Huntington’s Disease

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 20

• Uncontrolled movements
• Cognitive dysfunction

Question 21

Huntington’s Disease

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 21

• ACh
• GABA

[down]

Question 22

Huntington’s Disease

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 22

• Basal ganglia-cortical loop
• Decrease cholinergic and GABAergic projections from basal ganglia

Question 23

Epilespy

Main Clinical Signs

Answer 23

Seizures

Question 24

Epilepsy

Involved Neurotransmitters

Answer 24

• GABA

[down]

Question 25

Epilepsy

Affected brain areas and NT circuits

Answer 25

Inhibitory interneurons

Question 26

Epilepsy

Therapy

Answer 26

GABA-agonists